Mail catching and delivering mechanism.



J. P. SANDER.

MAIL CATCHING AND'DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. 1914.

1,167,936. Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEETL )7! 5? f ammo z x Raf Gimme/1 COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH co.,WASHINGTON, n. c.

I. P. SANDER.

MAIL CATCHING AND DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 2. I914.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 J. P. SANDER.

, MAIL CATCHING AN D DELIVERING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION man SEPT. 2, 1914.

1,167,936. Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

a SHEETS-SHEET 3.

JOSEPH 1 .13a on sroniiinnfwasnrnc'ron.

MAIL oAToH'mc Ann DELIVERING MECHANISM.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOS PH P. SANDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of Washington,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mail Catching and-Delivering Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in mail catching and delivery.mechanism for use in transferring mail bags from a car to a station, andvice versa.

One of the most important objects of the invention is to provideacatching device which is adapted to grasp the body of the mail bag so asto prevent lashing and whirling of the bag at the moment of catchingimpact. I

A further object relates to the construction of the bag graspingcatching means wherein the same is incorporated in the form of a basketportionfor receiving the bag, and a retaining portion adapted to beswung against the caught bag by impact of thebag with thecatching'portion so as to firmly grasp the bag, against any.displacement thereof wh-ilethesame is being swung into the car.

A further object of the invention consists in an improved mounting forthe catching means to permit the latter to swing about a fixed axisunder the thrust of catching impact, said mounting means functioningtooffer an increasing resistance-to such swinging impact movement therebyneutralizing the shock which usually results. when a caught bag isabruptly arrested. I

Further objects and features of the invention will be more fullydescribedin connection with the accompanying drawings and will be moreparticularly pointed outin and by the appended claims.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a portion of acar .and a station and indicating the position which the parts willassume when bags are about to betransferred from the carcto the stationand vice versa; Fig. 2 shows the position of the mechanismafter-transfer ot the bags has been efiected Fig. 3 'is a plan viewshowing the parts in theposition which they assume and are shown in Fig.1 Fig. lis a view in elevation of a mounting shaft'structure' for thecatching device; Fig. 5 isa perspective view of the catching devicedetached from its mounting shaft; Fig. 6 1s a Specification of LettersPatent.

7 station.

Patented J an. 11, 1916.

' Application filed September 2, 1914. Serial No. 859,866.

plan view showing the catching device in is caught; Fig. 7 is a planview showing. the position after the bag s caught; Fig. 8 1s a detailedview looking in the direction of new of one of the catching arms; Fig.11 is anedgeview thereof; and F ig.12 is an edge View similar to'Fig. 11with the bag transferring devices in'a different position.

Like charactersof reference designate similar .parts throughout thedifferent figures ofthe drawings.

As illustrated, 1 designates the car of a train which is .indicatedas'runningin the direction ofthe arrow, and 2 designates the I willfirst describe the car mechanism of my invention, which asshownyincl-udes a shaftB' on which the catching device of the car ismounted.v The shaft 3 is provided on its lower end with a threadedjour-.nal 4 which has a bearing in athreaded step base 5, the latter beingadapted tobe mounted on thefioor of the car. Said shaft 3 is theposition which it assumes before the bag also provided with a springabutment 6, and

its remaining end is journaledin a bearing 7, mounted on the car.Interposed between the abutment 6 and the bearing 7 is a spring 8, thefunction of which .is to frictionally resist rotated movement oftheshaft 3 under and 5 being-ofsuliicient pitch to axially shift theshaft in a manner to compress spring 8. This threaded connectionincreases axial shifting movement of the shaft as the latter rotates sothat the spring offers an increasing resistance as the bag is retractedunder impact and swings into the car thereby neutralizing the shock offinal 9 is fixed on the shaft 3 by a set screw l1 ;Wl11Cl1 ;IlOt onlyaffords adjustment in correctly positioning the holder in its arm, but

alsoyto vary the tension of springS. The

arm holder 10, as will be seen more clearly by reference to Fig. 9,isprovided witha socke'tlQ shaped to correspond to the cross section ofa catching arm 13.- The catching arm- 13 is longitudinally andoppositely feathered or ribbed, as indicated at ll. the

impact thrust, the threaded, connection at l maybe, and in the pres- I,socketlQ having correspondingly shaped olfsets 15 for receiving saidribs in a manner to secure firm anchorage of the arm. The arm 13 isbored at 16 and may be fixed in the holder by a headed pin 1'? which issimply dropped through a bore in the holder and into bore 16. The outerend of arm 13 is provided with a catching fork comprising forkedportions 18 having diverging terminals 19. The crotch 20 of the fork issomewhat enlarged with respect to the throat 21 and from the entrance ofthe throat extending toward the crotch 20, I provide pairs of retainersin the form of lugs 22, the ends 23 of which form shoulders normallyresisting movement of a transfer line or device out of the fork afterthe bag has been caught. The lugs 22 are disposed on opposite sides ofthe fork for interchangeable use of the latter in traveling in eitherdirection. The transfer line of the bag may be inthe form of a shank orchain 24 having a ball or head 25 which is adapted to ride upon theforked ends and lugs 23 as the shank passes therebetween. After the ballor head 25 has descended behind the shoulders 23, the latter will resistany outwardmovement of the head. This outer end of the arm '13, is alsoprovided with a delivery fork 26. The

terminal ends 26 are enlarged, as shown in Figs. 11 and 12, so that whena transfer device 28, of a bag to be delivered, is disposed in positionin said fork, it will be retained therein against any tendency of airresistance to detach it.

It is one of the primary objects of this invention to prevent thewhirling and lashing which usually results immediately following theimpact of a caught bag, and to avoid this troublesome defect, myinvention provides for grasping the bag about the body thereof in such amanner that strain will not only be taken off from the bag suspensionmeans but so as to avoid any possibility of injury to operatives in thecar. Referring to this feature of my invention more specifically, thesaid means includes a basketlike structure comprising a basket portion29 and-a retaining portion 30. The basket portion comprises horizontalsteel or like straps 3l'WhlCl1 are curved, as indicated at 32 to receivethe body of the bag, the free ends being attached to a stiffening bar 33to rigidify the structure. The straps 3l-are also connected near theiropposite ends by a bar 3e'l and the terminal ends are bent to formrectangular loops 35 with the extreme terminals 36 riveted or likewisesecured to the bar 34 and the ends 31. The loops 35 serve for mountingthe basket structure upon the shaft 3, the latter being provided withhooks 37 on which the loops 35 are adapted to rest. The hooks 37 arehubbed at 38 and are adjustably anchored to the shaft by set screws 39.

Again referring to the specific construction ofthe basket means, 40designates a shaft which is journaled in bearings 4-1, of the straps31.- Between the ends of said shaft 40, I mount the retainer 30, whichas will be seen'more clearly by reference to Fig. 8, is provided withlugs L2, which are spaced apart from each other to journal on said shafta0. Between said lugs 42, and fixedon said shaft 40, is a ratchet wheel43. A pawl ail engages the ratchet wheel'43 and is pivotally mounted at%5, the free endof said pawl being acted upon by a spring 46 to normallyhold the ratchet end of the pawl against the teeth of the ratchet wheel43. The retainer 30 is provided with an impact arm d7, formed byextending the retainer 30 beyond the shaft t0, the impact arm 47presenting a convex surface in the path of the bag while the straps 32present a concave surface or face to the bag.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 6, the basket means'isready torreceive a bag. Asthe bag enters the basket means it will firststrike the impact arm and swing the la ttei;"from thepo'sition showninFig. 6 to the position shown in Fig. 7. This serves to rotate theretainer 30 about theshaft' lO into following relation .to the bag, sothat the latter. which is indicated at A, will be embraced by the basketmeans.v As the retainer swings about shaft 40 the pawl Mrides idly overthe ratchet 43 and when the retainer reaches a final position, it willbe held in such position by pawl 44. In Fig; 7, I have shown the partsso proportioned that they will .loosely embrace the caught 'ba g A, butit will be understood that by changing the proportions, I may cause theretainer to firmly engage and co-act with the basket portion, throughthe interposed bags, to firmly grasp and hold the same in place.

WVhen a bag is to be delivered from the car deviceto the station, thetransfer line i that will hold a bag in position to be caught by thedevice of my invention. 7

My improved station device consists in providing shafts 48 and 49mounted in upper and lower bearings 50-51 and 52 and 53. Each shaft isprovided with upper and lower catching arms which are forked asindicated in Fig. 3, the upper arms being indi cated at 54 and 55, andthe lower arms at 56 and 57. The bearings 51 and 53 are threadedbearings which function to shift the shafts axially for the samepurpose. as

has been described in connection with Fig. 4.-. I also equip the shaftswith springs 58 and 59 which likewise function in a manner similar tospring 8.

The transfer devices 28 of bag B will be caught by the forks of arms 54:and 56 before the catching device of basket reaches bag C. The impact ofbag B will swing the forked arms 54 and 56 and the shaft 48 to the leftof Fig. 1, as shown in Fig. Subsequently, the basket means will reachbag C and grasp the same in the manner hereinbefore described, thecatching fork of arm 13 also engaging the transfer chain or line of bagC.

It will be understood that arms 55 and 57 are employed for catching bagsfrom trains running in a direction opposite to the direction indicatedby the arrow in Fig. 1.

It is believed that the advantages and utility of my invention will befully understood from the foregoing description, and while I have hereinshown and described one specific form of my invention, I do not wish tobe limited thereto except for such limitations as the claims may import.

I claim:

1. In a mail catching device, a rotatable shaft provided with a springabutment and a threaded journal, a threaded bearing enpaging saidjournal for shifting said shaft axially during impact rotation thereof,a second bearing of the shaft, and a coiled spring interposed betweensaid abutment and said second bearing for compression by said shaft toresist impact rotation of the latter, said shaft having bag catchingmeans thereon, substantially as described.

2. In a mail catching device, a catching mechanism, a shaft forsupporting said mechanism, and bearing means for causing axial shiftingmovement of said shaft during impact rotation thereof, and a springmeans acted upon by such axial shifting movement of said shaft to resistimpact rotation of the latter, substantially as described.

3. In a mail pouch transferring mechanism for pouches having endwiseprojecting pins or shanks provided with enlarged heads, a catchingdevice including a horizontally disposed fork having a crotch enlargedwith respect to the throat of said fork but of re-' duced size withrespect to said head, the forked portions of said fork having retaininglugs extending along the throat and inclined upwardly toward andterminating in abrupt shoulders adjacent the juncture of said throat andcrotch for movement of said head upwardly along said lugs and downwardlybehind said shoulders into said enlarged crotch to be supported in thelatter, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH P. SANDER. Witnesses:

F. IV. DAVIES, FRANK W. HIGGINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G.

